Good Stuff!

Make your own Shasta Magazine rack:Many Shasta models came with one of these and I had often seen requests for a pattern or measurements by other Shasta owners. Yep, once again I turned to Andrew for a pattern and Wha-La! Thanks Andrew!

The picture on the left shows you just how good the pattern is! We've built one and I love having a place to keep my magazines and books. The picture on the right shows the more traditional color. To get a good color match, you should use birch as your wood and an amber shellac for your color. We used scrap wood and some stain we had at home.... you can see the difference.

If you are looking to use something that will give you a more original look, I've read that both the terms "amber" and "orange" shellac are what was used originally and likely a closer match. Test what you try first to see if you are going to be happy with your color choice. Larry at Retrorestorations has also used the following: Watco Danish oil "honey" oak stain and Watco Danish oil "cherry" stain. Mix 10:1 Great results, the cherry brings out the birch grain and it holds up great.

From Larry at Retrorestorations:Heres some tips on cutting out the S without chipping. Draw the s on your plywood with a pencil, and then using a sharp knife like a utility knife or x-acto score the plywood along the outline. Now when you cut out the S using a scroll saw, router, coping saw or what ever you have stay just inside the scored line. It won't chip past your cut line. Sand the edges smooth up to your line, and it's beautiful. One more thing, if you want it authentic. The 3/4 inch thick board along the sides have the edges cut at a slight angle, so the rack is wider at the wall than it is at the front.SHASTA MAGAZINE RACK TEMPLATE

Not everyone has an old magazine to put in their vintage trailer magazine rack, but everybody should! You can "make your own" if so inclined by printing off a few old Shasta and vintage trailer articles I have scanned. Find them on the Classic Shastas Yahoogroup: